House Bill 639-FN-A is a comprehensive piece of legislation that seeks to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis for individuals aged 21 and over in New Hampshire. The bill compares the proposed cannabis regulation to that of alcohol, aiming to transition cannabis sales from the black market to regulated businesses, ensuring consumer safety and environmental protection. It includes provisions for the testing, labeling, and regulation of cannabis sales, with tax revenues supporting education and drug use prevention and recovery programs. The bill also amends financial structures to create a cannabis fund and a substance abuse prevention and recovery fund, managed by the Department of Health and Human Services. It modifies existing laws, including the definition of a valid passport for age verification, the establishment of a drug forfeiture fund, and the exclusion of authorized drugs from the definition of "illegal drug."

The bill outlines permissible activities for adults, such as possessing, consuming, obtaining, and transporting cannabis within set limits, and transferring cannabis without remuneration. It prohibits public consumption where tobacco is banned and consumption while driving, with penalties for violations. The bill also establishes a regulatory framework for licensing cannabis establishments, including cultivation facilities, testing facilities, and retail stores, and sets possession limits for cannabis in various forms. It includes insertions related to the regulation of cannabis, such as the definition of cannabis-related terms, and deletions from current law, although specific changes are not detailed in the summary.

HB 639-FN-A also addresses the impact of cannabis legalization on civil life, prohibiting discrimination based on cannabis use in areas such as employment and social services, and allowing employers to maintain workplace policies on cannabis use. It establishes a Cannabis Fund for administration costs and other purposes, with appropriations for drug monitoring initiatives and public education campaigns. The bill repeals certain laws related to cannabis equipment and has an indeterminate fiscal impact on state, county, and local levels. It includes provisions for the allocation of funds from the cannabis fund, including contributions to the New Hampshire Retirement System's unfunded accrued liability. The bill's impact on the judicial and correctional systems is uncertain, with potential decreases in cannabis-related charges and expenditures. The bill does not authorize new positions, and the fiscal impact is expected to occur after FY 2023. Agencies contacted for input include various departments and associations within New Hampshire.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 6:12, 179:8, 318-B:17-c, 318-C:4, 318-B:26, 318-B:2-c, 265-A:43, 77-A:4, 78-A:1, 78-A:3, 78-A:4, 78-A:7, 78-A:26, 76:3, 126-X:1, 126-X:8, 292:7, 293-A:9, 304-C:149, 318-B:1
As Amended by the House: 6:12, 179:8, 318-B:17-c, 318-C:4, 318-B:26, 318-B:2-c, 265-A:43, 76:3, 126-X:1, 126-X:8, 292:7, 293-A:9, 304-C:149, 176:9, 176:7, 179:59, 176:11, 178:19-a, 176:1, 176:14, 318-B:1
As Amended by the House (2nd): 6:12, 179:8, 318-B:17-c, 318-C:4, 318-B:26, 318-B:2-c, 265-A:43, 76:3, 126-X:1, 126-X:8, 292:7, 293-A:9, 304-C:149, 176:9, 176:7, 179:59, 176:11, 178:19-a, 176:1, 176:14, 318-B:1